Merlot

Demands seared Wagyu steak with a red wine reduction and fondant potato.

Great wine is made in the vineyard and this is even more true if the grape is grown on the right soils in the right area. For the red cultivars, Merlot is probably the most suitable for our terroir at Nitida. The canopy of the Merlot is completely opened right after flowering to let in as much sunlight into the canopy as possible. Closer to harvest time the grapes are tasted on a daily basis to decide when the optimal harvest date will be.

The wine is then matured in 100% French oak (20% new oak) for 13 months followed by a light filtration prior to bottling.

The grapes are hand selected in the vineyard to make sure only the best quality grapes make their way to the cellar. Fermentation takes place in open fermenters with punch downs every 4 hours ensuring optimal colour, tannin and flavour extraction. Post – fermentation maceration on the skins take place for up to 6 weeks after fermentation.

Although not intentionally award driven, there is no denying the status of this tiny family-owned Durbanville cellar. Strategically we are following a very traditional but personalised approach to making wine. In line with our brand honesty, we don’t try to be clever or practice contrived marketing jargon. We pick by hand, allowing us to leave the less perfect bunches for the soil to enrich itself – and before pressing, we again sort the individual grapes by hand. “We completely believe that beautiful wines come from day to day thoughtful management in the vineyards.” Our bottom line is that to be part of the Nitida family requires commitment, passion, and a desire to be involved. Our punch through system, while automated, was designed by the engineer in Bernhard to closely emulate a traditional hand-punch method. Of course, we do use modern technology for pressing and pumping, but always seek out the gentlest methods.